A World Without
by Flyteofheart
Summary: Killian Jones makes a terrible mistake when his need for vengeance leads him to chase Rumpelstiltskin to the world without magic. He finds himself in a nightmarish realm where the dead rise and eat the living. There he meets Emma Swan, not child of True Love, but instead a survivor of this now ruined world. Love finds a way, even in world without hope. Captain Swan. AU.
1. Chapter 1

Emma, chest heaving, came barreling out of the house and slammed the door behind her, pushing herself against it to make sure it was fully shut before backing away. Upon feeling the sunlight on her back she let out a ragged and breathy sigh and slid down to sit on the front steps to calm her breathing. _That was too close._ She could already hear the dead throwing themselves against door now. They clawed at the cracks in door and tried for the doorknob, unable to quite remember how to turn it. Their raw and bitter rasps chilled her to the bone no matter how many times she had heard them in the two months since the world had fallen around her.

She wondered weakly just how many close calls she had left in her. She had thought the house was empty before she started going through the cabinets. The dead were making less noise these days though and you missed them if you didn't visually check each room now. She must have missed a bathroom or something because sure enough she had been tossing cans into her bag when they had shambled around the corner, jaws snapping and ragged arms reaching. Emma rubbed at her temples and glanced down at the gun in her holster and wished again for more ammunition. She had only a few bullets left and couldn't afford to waste them on raiding a single house. The former residents of this sunny Boston suburb with white picket fences were not the gun-toting types though and she had not found a single bullet since her first night. Not that it would do her much good anyway. Firing a gun attracted far too much attention. _Well, at least im still alive._

Heaving herself to her feet, she picked up the bag of meager supplies she had gotten before the dead chased her out of the house. Another day, another few meals, it was really all she could hope for. Her friends needed food and she was the only one physically fit enough to deal with the dead in any efficient capacity.

"You can do this," she whispered, voice cracking at the edges.

* * *

Hook opened the door to his cabin and stepped out onto the dark deck of the Jolly Rodger letting the door fall shut behind him with a quiet knock. Glancing up at the sky he saw no stars and no moon to fill the inky night. He walked warily across the deck and saw the dark form of a woman laid out. Her dark hair fell obscuring her face and she lay motionless on the deck. His heart clenched and his chest filled with ice. Milah. Not her. He couldn't lose her. He rushed to her side and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Milah? Love... are you alright?" His lips trembled slightly. He heard her groan and for a moment his heart soared and his chest loosened. _She's alive!_ "What happened love? Are you ill? Have you been attacked?" She groaned again in response and begun to stir. He moved to help her sit up and at that moment she opened her eyes and looked up at him. Her eyes were filmed over with death; her skin loose and grey. She opened and closed her mouth and raised her hands towards him, grasping for the air in front of her in an almost childlike manner. A rotten, festering scent washed over him as soon as she begun moving.

He staggered backwards, his own mouth falling open and his eyes filling with tears. She stood up and jerked her head towards him. Her groans had become jagged growls and she took her first unsteady steps across the deck and came towards him, eyes wild. He made an anguished sound and swore. She reached him at that moment and her hands gripped his arm like a vice. He was helpless against her, too stunned and heartbroken to react. She leaned down, mouth gaping, and-

Killian awoke in his cabin, jumping. His heart still racing and body tense, he reached down to touch his arm where she had gripped him, almost expecting bruises. He felt the tears drying on his face. _Oh how the gods love to mock me_, he thought, an acrid taste rising in his throat. Not a day goes by where his dreams aren't full of Milah. That night's fare was particularly bad and he silently thanked the heavens that the dead could not come back to torture you from beyond the grave. He took just a moment to collect himself before dragging himself out of bed. Sleep was pointless now.

His anguish slowly draining into anger, he focused all his thoughts on one thing: the crocodile. The beast who had murdered his wife in cold blood. Hook would find the bastard and today is the day he was finally going to face him. He had spent the last few years scouring the realm in search of a magic bean. As luck would have it, Cora had provided him with _two_ magic beans, after he had assisted her in finishing a years long struggle against some far off queen. The Dark One had left the Enchanted Forest a few years ago. Everyone knew the story. He had finally succeeded when his so-called "lover", apparently a prisoner of his, completed a True Loves Kiss with him. The fairies believe that it must have been strong enough to call forth his greatest wish. Hook laughed under his breath despite himself, as if anyone could ever love such a horrid creature. The Dark One almost certainly had used her soul as payment in some nefarious curse. Regardless, Rumpelstiltskin and his prisoner-turned-lover are gone from this realm and haven't been seen since. It's assumed he reunited with his lost son by now and is living in this world without magic.

On this morning, he will follow them. Maybe he would steal the prisoner for himself after he destroyed the Dark One. She would welcome him with open arms just as Milah had in her escape from Rumpelstiltskin all those years ago. The irony. His mouth started to pull into a grin as he raised his hook and stepped to the wheel of the ship. He looked out at his busy crew readying the sails and securing last minute cargo. They slowly stopped working and moved to attention. When he was satisfied he addressed them confidently.

"Lads, this is the day we finally catch the crocodile. I have in my possession a magic bean- the very same kind that brought us to Neverland and back." No need to tell them about the other one he planned to save for a return trip.

"He is powerless in his current realm. There is no magic there and that is the only thing any of us know. We don't know what we shall find, but we are of course no strangers to adventure!" His crew were so easy to whip into a frenzy. They were shouting now, ready to follow him to the ends of the earth if he should wish it. Stepping to the bow of the boat he pulled a clear, lighter than air bean from his coat.

"We will kill the Dark One, and we will plunder his home, and we shall be victorious! Release the sails, we leave now!" his voiced raised in volume and he drew his arm back and threw the bean out into the ocean. The sea began to foam and swirl and he rushed to the wheel, gripping it with one hand and dragging it to one side.

Killian maneuvered the boat towards the growing portal at full speed like he had many times before. He felt more confident than ever. The portal responded to your thoughts and he had never wanted any place so badly before in his life. He then focused on thinking about this world without magic. This world where the crocodile lived. Just as the bow of the ship tipped into the whirlpool though, a single thought came unbidden into this mind. His dream. His Milah, staring up at him through lifeless eyes, growling and rotten. He gasped and let go of the wheel for a split second and the ship lurched terrifyingly to the side. He tore his thoughts back to this magic-less land where the crocodile resides. He tried to regain control of the ship but his momentary loss of focus had unbalanced them. The ship was threatening to capsize. He shouted orders to withdraw the sails and for his crew to secure themselves but the mast was already touching the water on the other side of the portal. He heard it crack before he saw the giant fissure in the mast. Too late now, they were already deep within the portal and would momentarily be surfacing on the other side. Things were moving in slow motion. He could see everyone shouting and trying to control the ropes to prevent more damage to the mast and sails. They spun faster and faster until everything went white, and then perfectly still. The sounds of the ocean calmed, and only the gentle creaking of small waves slapping the ship could be heard. His crew, slowly gaining their own vision back, looked up at their captain for orders. He looked out over the ocean and the bright orange of sunset reflecting off the water told him he had made it.

They had crossed realms.

* * *

Emma worked her way quietly back to the house she had dedicated as "base" a few weeks ago. She had met a woman, also alone, who had seen her skittering behind one of the cars in the suburb and approached. Emma had meant to keep away from other people but this woman had seemed kind enough. Her name was Claretta and she had lived in this neighborhood before everything happened. She invited Emma into her home and they secured it against the dead. Since then, a man and his young son joined them. Harwell and Bennie Gardini.

Walking through the door, Emma called "Hey Claretta, Harwell, I found a lot of canned corn. Way better than the off-brand beans we've been eating the last couple days. I figure it can be a treat-" she stopped when she came into the kitchen and saw Claretta had been crying. Her eyes were red and wide with terror. Harwell was holding her right hand.

"What happened Claretta? I told you not to panic; we will find your husband. You said he had gone to the safe zone outside of New York and I'm sure that is where he is now."

Harwell slowly shook his head and looked meaningfully at Claretta. The lines on his face were a mile deep. Claretta met his gaze for a moment and tossed her left arm onto the table and let her eyes squeeze shut as if gripped by a nightmare. A red, oozing walker bite on her arm just below her elbow was the only thing Emma could see for several seconds. She felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. She grabbed a chair and sat down, her legs turning to jelly. Her bag dropped to the floor, and the metallic thunk it made sent Claretta into another round of sobs as she jerked her arm back beneath the table.

"How did it happen?" Emma tried, sitting up straighter after a few moments.

"I just went outside for a second. I knew Missy- who lived on 12th street- used to have a dog. I suddenly remembered that her dog-" her throat clenched for a moment "her dog had diabetes and needed insulin. I just thought, if I can get that insulin, I can bring it to my husband when we found him. He would need it-"

"Was a walker inside?"

"No... I never even made it there. I got just a few streets down before one stood up from behind a trashcan. It was Missy! Missy!" Her voice rose several pitches. "and- and I couldn't do anything! She just came at me and bit down and I just ran and ran."

Emma didnt know what to say. This is why she had been the one breaking into houses so far. Claretta was so easily spooked. Harwell had problems with his legs from some old injury and his son couldnt afford to lose him, not now. Emma wished she had gotten back sooner. She could have helped Claretta with whatever she'd needed. Anything would be better than this outcome..

"Why didn't you wait for me to get back? I could have gotten the insulin.."

"You always do so much for us! You get all the food, you take care of the walkers when they get too close to this house, you do everything! I didn't want you putting yourself in danger again for something as silly as insulin... when my husband is surely already dead by now.."

"I told you he might not be-"

"Yes he is Emma. If he's not already dead he might as well be. Don't you lie to me anymore. Even if he lived initially there is no way he made it far. We are both too weak." Claretta's sobs overtook her speech at that last thought and she no longer tried to contain herself.

With that Emma stopped. Her lips tightened. "Ok." she said, releasing the breath from her lungs. She looked into Harwell's eyes and she saw him asking her to do it. Her chest tightened again and she tried to think of another way- _No. It has to be this way._ She tried so hard to seal her emotions back up in her mind. _This is the world now Emma and you know what happens to people. You have to do it. She doesn't deserve that fate._

"Claretta, come with me. Show me where Missy was. We can at least put her out of her misery so she doesn't have to hurt anyone else." Emma said, reaching down for her right hand, trying to hide the pity that surely showed on her face. Claretta looked up and nodded, trembling. Emma almost wished she would say no.

"She was just this way... I'll show you... her lawn was always the prettiest and she loved that dog so much. If that had been anyone else's dog they would have put it down when they found out it needed daily insulin. Not Missy though.."

Emma listened as Claretta told her about Missy. Her heart felt like it was about to fall out of her chest. Of course Missy wouldn't put down a dog just because it had medical problem. In the old world, people used to actually treat problems._Unlike what we are about to do._

"Right there Emma, behind those trashcans is where I found her. Please do it. I can't bear the thought of her walking around out here forever..." her voice dropped off to a whimper.

Emma saw it still shambling around in the area between the two houses. She sighed and pulled out her knife. Claretta hung back in the open yard while she approached slowly. The wind was blowing towards Emma, so the walker couldn't smell them yet. She got right up behind it and brought her knife up, intending to kill it quickly. At the last second, the walker turned and snarled, and Emma had to look right into Missy's filmy eyes as she brought the knife down into its forehead with a sickening wet sound. Blood dribbled around her fingers and she withdrew the knife, letting Missy fall to the ground. She knew the walkers were already long dead, but those eyes... they were human eyes. Human forms. Killing them was getting too easy and too hard all at the same time. She stood still and composed herself for just a few moments, knowing what else she had to do. Claretta didn't have much time. If there was any other way, Emma would take it._If only I could be so lucky._

Silence.

"I know why you brought me out here Emma. I'm so sorry... you shouldn't have to.."

"Its... ok." Emma sighed and turned around to face her friend, putting all her emotions away. Sealing them behind tall walls. If this is what this new world required, then she had to do it. "You want this, right?" Even if it took a piece of her soul away to do so.

More silence.

"I don't want to be like Missy. and I am so grateful you came out here to make sure she dies too. She would appreciate it so much. Please.. I never want to be that." _I shouldn't even treat a dog like this. __I am worse than any monster._

Emma reached for her gun at her hip. She pulled out the handgun she'd never had to fire on someone before the world fell down. She looked it over and checked the chamber then turned off the safety. She slowly walked over to Claretta and gave her a tight hug. She wrapped her arms all the way around her and let her head drop to her shoulder before pulling back slightly. Claretta cried just a little bit more and Emma's heart cracked. _I can't do this._

"I'm sorry too." She mouthed, just before she lifted the gun to the side of Claretta's head and pulled the trigger.

A single loud shot echoed off all the houses around her and Claretta's body dropped to the overgrown lawn. Emma didn't look down. She fought the tears forming in her eyes and said one more time before moving away.. "I'm sorry."

* * *

**4/27/14 - AN: This story is obviously Zombie Apocalypse. I am basing these zombies off of the ones the The Walking Dead but I don't plan on using any of their characters except as maybe cameos, so I'm not going to mark this crossover. You don't have to know anything about TWD fandom except that the zombies are the slow dumb kind, not the fast mutated kind from video games. They call the zombies "Walkers" in universe and I like the term so I'm going to keep it.**

**Hook really fucked up with the portal there lol. I always thought it was a bit dangerous to have it work based on thought. Those times Hook went to Neverland he could have randomly ended up god knows where. Or Baelfire could have ended up on the moon if he had thought wrong.**

**This Emma is NOT from the Enchanted Forest. She was born on this Earth same as everyone else. Hook doesn't know her yet. Everything else will be answered in time.**

**I have created a tumblr specifically for this story, so if you would like to follow me I am ****captainswans-nightmare**** on there(link on profile). I'll hopefully post sneak peaks and maybe meta stuff as I think of it on there.**

**Please review and tell me what you think, or if this is even a good idea! :D I plan on pushing our characters to their limits in true ZA style. I think any ship is more interesting when you place them in the absolute worst situation imaginable: Everyone is dead and it's the zombie apocalypse. Finding love in a hopeless place is much more rewarding anyway, isn't it?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A few months prior**

Emma stepped into her dark Boston apartment and flipped on the light. She wanted a relaxing bath and a drink so badly that she could hardly move fast enough. Today she had finally tracked down a particularly flighty target who had skipped on bail more than three months ago. _Slippery bastard_. The man had absolutely no online footprint, apparently using stolen vehicles and IDs, avoided housing contracts, the whole works. If she was being honest the man reminded her a bit of herself. His downfall was his love for a certain New York style pizza restaurant. He called in an order on a lonely night and when the pizza place recognized him when they showed up to deliver it was all over. _Everyone slips up eventually,_ she thought wryly.

She turned on her laptop while she poured herself a glass of white wine at the counter and let it boot up. Emma took small sips and tried not to think. This was actually her least favorite part of the day: coming home to an empty apartment. Running around chasing losers she never really _felt_ alone. The second she stepped inside her apartment the emptiness closed in around her. No one to talk to. No one to ask how her case went. No one to even notice if she simply never came home at all. Silence.

These kinds of thoughts would overwhelm her if she dwelled to long. To distract herself, Emma whipped back around to look back at her laptop which had finally wheezed to life and opened up the internet. Might as well check on whatever new cases she had queued up. Unfortunately, all of them looked boring. Obviously stupid crimes like shoplifting or drug possession and they would be a cinch to track down. _Amateurs_. She was getting sick of Boston already; she'd been living here almost a year now and she was starting to feel that familiar urge to just pack up and leave. The longer she stays somewhere, the harder it is to kid herself that she isn't lonely and unhappy. The same coffee shop that looked new and inviting upon her arrival just serves to remind her that she doesn't belong anywhere. A room full of people and no one to drink coffee with. She needed to leave again. _No, don't think about that._ Gritting her teeth, she pulled up a news site just to browse for a second. Front page news: 'Mayhem in France; mysterious disease and murderous rampages.' _Huh, all that together?_ Frowning, she clicked it.

As she read, he frown deepened until she was totally disturbed and shaking her head. The article was covered with images of people in the streets, running for their lives. Other people appeared to be chasing them almost drunkenly and covered in gore. The people were covered in human bite marks and it looked like a nightmare. The article claimed some rabies-like disease was making people bite each other. 'So far it is contained to France and might be drug use related, officials say, and ask people not to worry because they are handling it.' _What a load of bull._ Emma knew how quickly things can get out of hand. She glanced out her window as if expecting the street outside to be full of the same carnage and an anxious feeling pulled at her. She stopped for a second to chew on her lip. Shit might get ugly..

_Well, I guess I'll be leaving Boston sooner rather than later. _She had been planning on leaving soon anyway, why not tonight? Her instincts were telling her something bad was about to happen and she wasn't going to risk ignoring it. Boston is a city of several million people and if some new drug or disease or whatever the hell it is has even a chance of escaping France she didn't want to be in Boston. The police here are incompetent and there was 0 chance of them preventing a riot if this mess spread. Even if this turned out to be a hoax(which it probably is) she didn't want to stay in boring, lonely Boston anymore.

She wasn't a stranger to the midnight moving decision and had done it on less of a whim. At least there was a semi-logical reason she was leaving tonight, Emma told herself. She packed her single box full of possessions and grabbed her keys. She could alert her landlord via phone later. She hadn't ever signed a full contract so it really didn't matter.

She mulled over in her head where she would go as she walked to her car. She could go find a bed-n-breakfast in a small town nearby until she was sure this had blown over at the very least. It would probably all blow over in a week or so. Trouble always does. She thought she should stop by the supermarket on the way out and stock up on necessities. She didn't know where she'd end up or how well stocked their grocery store would be so she wanted to buy some food.

After putting away her groceries, she looked to the shop next door. A gun store. There was that niggling feeling of dread again, creeping back. Her handgun was in the car but she really didn't have much ammo to go with it because she only ever used it for target practice and to get her concealed carry license necessary for her line of work. A split second decision had her walking in the door and inquiring about ammunition. The owner sounded bored but he too had just seen the news about the tragedy in France and agreed that more bullets probably wouldn't hurt. She purchased a large box and while she was there, got the biggest knives she could find. Two really nice ones that would make a marine proud. Couldn't hurt, she told herself again.

With that, she drove off into the night, heading for the least populated town within driving distance. Siri told her the location of a small retirement community on the coast. Perfect.

Traffic was actually light. No one was panicking and no one in the city could have ever imagined that the very next day the event would abruptly go global. It destroyed every last vestige of society in a matter of weeks. Emma's box of ammo and foresight to leave the city were the only things that kept her alive.

* * *

**Present**

Hook leaned over the starboard side the deck and squinted to see the shore in the fading sunset. It was getting dark but he could see far away figures on the beach. _Inhabited_. He pulled out his spyglass and held it to his eyes, wanting to get a better look at the people of this realm. The sun was ever dipping lower in the sky and although he couldn't see clearly, he felt that the people were not moving properly. He had been watching them for a while and it didn't make sense. They seemed to be ambling slowly in the sand, dragging their feet. No one was socializing or moving in any specific pattern. No one even lifted their heads. He told himself it must be some kind of ritual._ That is the only explanation that makes sense._ He couldn't shake the feeling there was something wrong with them even still. He didn't want to make the crew nervous though so he turned to them and asked for Mr. Smee's presence. Soon enough they would be slaying the Dark One and on their way home, so the business of the natives was no concern to Hook anyway. They could go about their disturbing rituals in peace.

"What is the damage to the ship, Smee?"

"Well, sir, the biggest thing is the mast is snapped. It will have to be repaired before we can go anywhere. We will need much more supplies than we have on this ship currently so we will have to purchase them on land at the nearest port."

Killian hoped this land had the tools they needed. He touched his chin in deliberation and asked "How quickly can this be fixed once we get the necessary supplies?"

"At least a week. Probably two. What happened when we entered the portal, Captain? You looked as if you'd seen a ghost and that's when we lost control."

Hook narrowed his eyes at Smee, trying to determine whether to throw him overboard or spear him with his Hook. His look said it all and Smee squeaked away from him. He shivered a little as the image of Milah's rotting face crept into his mind again. _Worse than any ghost, _he thought. He stalked away from where Smee had been and addressed the crew from his position at the wheel.

"Men, we will sleep on the ship tonight. At dawn, myself and an exploration team will be going ashore. Tomorrow our destiny awaits."

* * *

Harwell and Bennie were already at the kitchen table that morning when Emma came downstairs. Bennie had his eyes fixed just on the table in front of him and was fidgeting under the table. His face was scrunched up and Harwell looked exasperated. Harwell must be explaining what happened to Claretta again...

"Bennie, you know we had to. Claretta got bit. She would have died in the next day or two anyway. Its better she got to die before she got too sick, or worse. She knew what was coming and she wanted us to end it for her."

"I know but you didn't even let me say goodbye," he fought "she was my friend too and no one ever bothered to tell me anything."

"We were trying to protect you. That's not something you should have to worry about." Harwell looked up at Emma standing in the doorway and gave her a slightly pleading look. Bennie hadn't taken the news about Claretta well. He had stormed up to the room he shared with his father when Emma came back alone and covered in blood. She hadn't been in the mood to talk at the time. Even this morning the kid was bringing up images she would rather not remember right now. _Or ever._

"Hey kid, Claretta was upset. I know you think it's not fair you didn't get to say goodbye but she wasn't in much shape to sit and talk to you about her impending death. Do you think she wanted to see you pitying her? Or that she wanted to tell you she was going to die? Just be glad she got to go peacefully and that you can remember her healthy and whole instead of distraught." Sugarcoating it was not an option anymore. Emma felt honesty was probably best in this situation, even for a child, but Harwell looked shocked at her words. He turned to Bennie to see how he had taken it. Bennie stopped fidgeting and stared up at Emma with slightly widened eyes.

Bennie started to say something and caught himself. Instead he just looked back down and nodded. _Good,_ thought Emma. _I think he finally gets it. Death is an ugly thing. Claretta's death will haunt me for the rest of my probably short life._

Harwell decided to speak up again. "You understand right, son? The bite is excruciating. Then the fever starts setting in within an hour or two. After that you die slowly and in agony from the disease. It's not pretty. A person barely has time to think about it because within a day or so of getting bit you're delirious from fever and then dead. People want decisions before they reach that point. And I don't have to tell you what happens next.." He said the last sentence lower and glanced pointedly out the window at the couple of walkers shambling around in the street.

Emma cringed as she remembered Claretta's death at her own hands. "Enough talk about this. Harwell I think we can get this old radio working. It's an ancient one with a huge antenna. I want to know if there is anywhere still transmitting nearby." Long shot, but when Emma saw the radio she had to at least try. If there were still people out there she wanted to know.

"Alright. Bennie, why don't you go get your school books? You can study while we work." Harwell and Emma chuckled. Amazing that even after the apocalypse the poor kid still has to do homework. Harwell liked for Bennie to keep up with his studies and firmly upheld that Bennie would be keeping up with his schoolwork as if the world had never ended at all. Bennie rolled his eyes but walked into the hallway to grab his 6th grade history book and they set to work on the radio.

* * *

Hook rubbed his eyes. Another nightmare. At least this one wasn't very vivid. It was just shadowy shapes and a pervasive feeling of dread that he still couldn't shake. It was nearing dawn again so he grabbed his coat and headed out on deck to observe what was happening on the shore a bit more before his crew awoke.

Holding the spyglass to his eye, he scanned the beach once more. The sun was rising but not yet bright. _There!_ More people on the beach... they still shuffled and looked like they had been out there all night! What on earth were they doing? Looking for something in the sand? Something was.. wrong, unnatural even, about their unsteady movements. He tried looking through the trees along the shore to see inland but they were too thick. He felt his mind start to drift back to his previous dream. At this moment, Mr. Smee came and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Captain, today is the day you can finally sink your hook into the heart of the Dark One. We have been waiting for this day for 300 years!"

"Aye. I feel it. He has to be out there somewhere nearby. The bean would have brought us as close as possible." Actually Killian felt more like something was gnawing on his insides. Something about the figures on the beach had him doubting everything. He clutched at his pocket with the magic bean and was glad he had an escape route. Smee watched his hand.

"Sir, we do have a way home, right? No one wants to question you but obviously we would like to leave this realm eventually. No magic sounds awful." Smee looked tense and shied away from the captain's gaze.

"Do you have so little faith in your brilliant Captain?" His hand went to his pocket again just to make sure the bag of coins with the second bean inside was still there. He forced a laugh.

"Oh no I never doubted you. It was the crew, you see."

Hook fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Aye. You and three other crew members will join me in going ashore today. You are dismissed. Come find me again in an hour once you have readied the others." He lifted his spyglass before Smee had even walked away and tried to focus on shore yet again. _Still too far._ Even in the growing sunlight he couldn't tell much about the ambling figures. He did note that buildings were now visible behind the tree line. _Good. This should be a decent sized town where we can at least receive directions._

As the sun rose higher, Hook retrieved his sword and paced in his cabin. _Why doesn't this feel right? _This world definitely has no magic. He had tested it himself with an artifact he had brought from the Enchanted Forest. It hummed lightly in the presence of magic. Of course, that meant it had never stopped humming in the Enchanted Forest. It had been silent since they crossed through the portal. Hook knew that meant he was in the right place. The world without magic. But what if it's not?_ It has to be._ He was concentrating perfectly during their passage save that split second he thought of his dream- the one he refused to even consider right now. That wouldn't have confused the portal. No way. Hook huffed and then held his sword in his hand and tried to imagine cutting off the Dark One's hands before killing him. It would be sweet. Taking both the Dark One's hands as reparation for his own lost limb. _That's more like it,_ he thought. _The crocodile is mine._

Smee finally knocked at his door and pulled him out of his dark imaginings, "Captain, we are ready to depart!"

"Right." Hook quipped before following him to the smaller boat they would use to go ashore. "We shall just be going ashore for reconnaissance. Let me, the smartest of the lot of ya, do all the talking." He grinned widely again, stepping into the boat before he resumed speaking.

"This is it, men! We have hunted this beast for what feels like an eternity. Victory is upon us." His crew whooped and hollered and one of his men shouted that he couldn't wait to see the crocodile's skin hanging from their flags. They lowered the boat using heavy ropes that carried Hook, Smee, Vincent, who had been part of Killian's original crew in the Royal Navy, and his two best mates. The crew left on board was chattering with anticipation and apparent jealousy.

As they hit the water, Killian pulled his spyglass from his coat one more time and aimed it towards shore. He wanted to go ashore where there were not people standing about so he could watch for a bit before making contact. An area to the side blocked by large rocks and cut off from the rest of the beach, except by climbing, looked suitable. "Smee, you see those rocks?" he gesturing with his hook, "We go ashore there."

"Aye Captain! You heard him, get rowing!" They all picked up their oars eagerly and Hook could feel the excitement rolling off them. He should be feeling that himself. Instead, dread was creeping into his gut and warning him of something terrible yet again.

Hook hadn't gotten a good look because as they got closer to shore, most of the ambling people had walking into the woods. _Maybe they were finished with their bizarre ritual, _he thought. _Just as well. _Together his men heaved the boat onto the sand where it wouldn't be swept away and looked around. They would have to climb the rocks to get to the town and beach.

"Well let's get on with it then," he glanced around at his men "Unless you would like to stand here admiring your brilliant Captain all day," and with that Killian smirked and put one foot atop a rock and pulled himself up with his hand, his coat sweeping behind him.

Just as Killian crested the top of the boulders, he heard shouting from just inside the woods. "Help, please god someone help me! Help!" as well as the sound of someone crashing through the undergrowth.

In one leap he landed on the soft ground and searched the forest with his eyes, looking for who had called. His men were rushing down now too. _Ah! There!_ He saw movement and took off after it. He drew his sword mid-stride just as he burst into the clearing. What he found there is forever burned into his memory.

The man they heard shouting was now surrounded by the ambling figures from the beach. Their torn and ruined faces turned to look at Hook when he entered the clearing. He froze, unable to comprehend the horror before him. One figure had reached the man and was now tearing flesh from his shoulder with its teeth while the man screamed in agony. _A nightmare_. His crew came scrambling after him just in time to witness this scene. They all drew their swords and Vincent was the first to charge. He ran his sword straight into the heart of the nearest aberration and looked triumphant. But the creature didn't stop or give any indication it had been injured. It moved towards Vincent while still speared on his sword and a look of shock crossed his face as it reached him. He tried to withdraw but it was too late. The creature got its arms around the poor lad and was biting into his neck.

Great god in heaven. _What is this accursed land?_ He fell back into his nightmare. Milah, her rotting corpse had attacked him- _Impossible-_

"Help me please!" rang out in the clearing again and Hook saw that the man in the clearing had managed to slay the beast that had bitten him. Vincent was being quickly surrounded by more of them and now only gurgled as they tore into his body and brought the flesh to their mouths. Blood was everywhere and Smee was gagging. His two other crew members looked startled and one tried to pull a beast off of Vincent. It turned around and ran at him with no regard for its own safety. It dropped and managed to get a hold of his ankle and bit down before he kicked it so hard that it's skull caved in. The beast moved no more. "You have to get their heads, don't you idiots know anything?" still the man shouted, killing another rotten beast with a knife.

_Alright,_ Hook thought. _Their heads._ His crew raised their swords again and began plunging the blades into the skulls of all that came near them. Hook decapitated one and then saw that it still lived even separated from its body. Its head lay on the ground, teeth gnashing and eyes watching him, still not dead. Fear gripped his bones. This was not natural and bile was rising in his throat at the sight.

After all the monsters had been cleared, he looked around. Blood covered all his crew. Vincent's body laid completely eviscerated in the center . Smee looked unharmed but both of Vincent's mates had been bitten by the monsters and were binding their wounds already. Their wounds did not look serious, thankfully. The man from the clearing sat down and began to wail.

"You were too late. It's too late. I can't be saved now." He cried, clutching at his injured shoulder.

"Lad, we got here in plenty of time. Your wound is hardly life threatening." Hook's breathing was still a big ragged from the fight and he had no patience for this whining fool. "What in god's name are those horrid creatures?"

"You know as well as I do that these bites aren't going to heal. I'll be dead before the nights out. Your friends too," he said, gesturing to the crewmen binding their wounds. "but I don't need to tell you that…"

Hook's eyes narrowed. This man looked insane. His eyes were wide and he was rocking fore and back, muttering. Clearly he is sick. "So are these monsters common here?" he tried. He hoped this was an isolated event. He tried not to think about what it would mean for this realm and the portal if...

"The entire goddamned world is covered in them. If you are from a place where they haven't reached yet, I suggest you return there now. The end of times is upon us." The man chuckled now. "As if there is anywhere left on earth not affected. What a fantasy.."

_He suspected the moment he thought of his dream in the portal. He had been denying it. Refusing to consider the possibility. But now, this is reality. _Hook felt his entire body stiffen as a shiver ran down his spine. It can't be true. This entire world, covered in dead creatures who mock the living. His dream. His Milah. He had brought his crew straight into a nightmare. There is no crocodile here. There is nothing here. Only decay and terror. He looked to Smee and tried to hide the panic rapidly consuming his thoughts. They had to return. He would give up on the crocodile forever if they could only escape this retched world. It shouldn't exist outside of his twisted dreams.

"Smee, back to the ship-"

"What about this man?"

"Leave him. I don't particularly care about his fate. He is obviously addled." The man made a sound and hung his head at Hook's words.

"If you aren't going to kill me at least I can hopefully see my wife again. She's out there. With _them_. She was turned not far from here. Maybe I can finally join her." he trailed off and his mutterings became less distinct. Smee looked like he was slowly beginning to panic himself. Probably realizing how badly his "esteemed Captain" had mucked this journey up.

"Now. Back to the Jolly Rodger."

"What about the crocodile-"

Hook's nostrils flared and he spun around facing the crewmember who dare spoke. "Back to the ship before I kill you all on principle."

That cowed his crew and they began to lumber back to the rocks. Every slight rustling in the bushes had everyone on edge again, holding their swords up and at the ready. Nothing emerged and they made it back to the boat safely. Hook almost sighed with relief when they pushed it into the water and rowed back to the Jolly Rodger. He would use the bean as soon as possible. This realm is a mistake. The gods were punishing him for his sins.

Climbing back onto the deck of his ship Hook bellowed "Who is in charge of repairs?" and a smaller crewman came to his side. "Can we enter another portal today?" already Hook feared that the damage was too much. The mast's breaking had stressed the hull and while the ship was not taking on water, it was obviously impaired.

"Sir, you can see it yourself. You know we can't. Another trip through there without a mast or the ability to steer and the ship will surely break apart. The ocean would claim us all and there is no telling what would happen if we break apart within a portal. "

"Can't anything go right.." Hook touched his hand to the bridge of his nose and muttered. "Please, bring me a list of things we need for the bare minimum of repairs. As little as will allow us to pass through the portal without dying."

"A- Alright Captain." The crewman was watching him now, a bit spooked himself. Of course. Hook certainly hadn't managed to calm his beating heart and hide the terror from his eyes yet. Rumors would start and he needed to address this before Smee told everyone and panic spread that the captain is terrified of some monster on shore.

He tried to drain the emotion from his face and stalked to his place at the wheel. "What we found on shore was an aberration. This realm is facing some great pestilence. A multitude of rotting, human bodies were up walking and eating the flesh of the living." The crew gasped.

"Vincent was eaten by these creatures and both his fellows were injured in the fight." More gasps and groans as they turned to look the injured men. A bite showed clearly on the arm of one. "We met one living man and he claims this entire realm is crawling with the dead." He paused for one more moment. "I am afraid we have made a grave error. This cannot be the realm of Rumpelstiltskin. This realm is brought forth from my own nightmares. The portal brought us to this land when a nightmare was brought into my mind during our passage from the enchanted forest." All the crew was silent now.

"I have one more magic bean and we will use it to escape. However, the ship must first be repaired." he was rubbing his face again. "Yet as you all know we need more supplies in order to fix this ship. We will have to go ashore again. This nightmare is not over yet but I promise I will get you all home." Killian stepped down from the wheel and left the crew to discuss. He needed to be alone with his thoughts. The crew could wait.

* * *

Emma turned the knob on the radio just a little bit more after they finally got it hooked up to a car battery and this time it sprang to life, static filling the room. She nearly squealed with joy when she heard a human voice on the air. "We did it Harwell listen-"

"..This is the last transmission of the Atlanta CDC. This is the last transmission of the Atlanta CDC, on all outgoing channels. Important information regarding the event…"

* * *

**4/28/14 - AN: There you go :D**

**I hope I explained the zombies well enough. You get bitten by a zombie anywhere on your body and within hours you get sick. Bites kill. A hellish fever and flu-like illness burns you out, then you die, delirious and in pain. How long the sickness takes to kill you seems to vary between a few hours and 2 days tops. Then within 4ish hours of your death via disease, your body reanimates as a walker unless someone shoots/stabs your actual brain. If it's not the brain it does nothing. Sometimes you reanimate in seconds, sometimes it takes hours. No way to tell. Claretta knew this, Emma knew this, they all would have seen it happen to people around them as the first few weeks went by. Let me know if it wasn't clear enough. **

**Hook and Emma will meet soon. Don't worry. I would have started the story with them already met but it was hard to get in all this exposition stuff out of the way like that. I needed you to see how Hook reacts to this world at first sight and how Emma ended up where she is.**

**Opinions: I keep randomly switching between 'Killian' and 'Hook' in my writing. Is it noticeable/annoying to anyone? I personally like using Hook but Killian is more personal and fits in certain sentences better. So idk. Is it bothering anyone that I switch so often?**

**PS: Hook is hard as hell to write for. Maybe its because im a woman and know nothing about handsome broody pirates but its a struggle to figure out what he would be thinking/doing/saying at any given time.**


	3. Chapter 3

Emma could scarcely believe her ears. She felt hope rising inside her. The Center for Disease Control was broadcasting some message. Could this mean the nightmare was coming to an end already? The CDC was supposedly working on a cure before the news networks went down. After repeating the initial message a few times, the calm male voice continued:

"I don't know that anyone is still listening but just in case.. I would like to share the final information I have regarding the event. I am alone. I am the only researcher at the CDC and as far as I know, the only researcher on Earth who is still working and able to broadcast." The voice paused for a while. Static filled the silence and Emma feared the radio had stopped functioning but just as she reached out to adjust it, she heard him start again with a sharp intake of breath.

"If you have not already realized this, you are all already infected. Every one of you. Every man, woman, and child on Earth are already infected. You do not need to be bitten to.. turn. Any natural death that does not harm the brain will result in reanimation. The bites from reanimated dead are highly toxic and that is simply what kills you, not what reanimates you. The fatal fever that results from infected bites and the reanimation processes are not related, though obviously death from the fever will result in your reanimation." Emma felt the blood drain from her face. Harwell turned to look at her, his face mirroring her shock. They could never have expected this. She hadn't seen anyone die from "natural" causes at all in the last months so how would she have ever known?

"What that means is that you cannot escape the disease. There will never be another place safe from the disease. As soon as someone dies from anything: the flu, gunshot wounds, heart attack, cancer, infection... they will reanimate. This was our greatest misunderstanding in the first few weeks of the event. We tried to quarantine the living to prevent the spread, but across the entire world, people were of course dying in hospitals or dropping from heart attacks and car accidents, and it was they who sparked the initial chain reactions within every community on the planet. In the pandemonium we did not realize this. Humanity was doomed from the start. I.. I fear this is our extinction event." His voice dropped off and Emma struggled to even breath. She moved microscopically and looked at Harwell. He had dropped his face to his hands and sat still. _What are we going to do?_

"The last thing I have to tell you is that this will be my last transmission. The CDC is running out of resources, and when it does, I will be destroying it. There are diseases in here you do not want escaping. Smallpox, ebola adapted to cold climates, bulbonic plague... its all in here. I cannot risk their release. This message will repeat once a day for two weeks and by that time I will be long dead and the CDC complex destroyed. God bless you all, and good luck. I am sorry I do not have better news." They sat in silence as the station flipped to static. This was beyond what they thought possible.

Emma lifted one of her hands as if to check to make sure its still there. The disease was already within her own body. She felt disgusted. _What are we going to do?_ Everyone is infected? She had thought she had already given up hope for humanity. But apparently not, as she felt the last of it slipping away. _We are doomed. Not even escaping this planet will free us from the disease._ Where ever humanity goes, the disease will be with them.

Harwell lifted his face from his hands and said, "We have to do something. What about the safe zone outside New York City? Last I heard, it was still safe there." His eyes looked desperate. How badly he wants it to be true.

"Harwell, you heard what he said. No where is safe. If there was a safezone there it would have been overrun from the inside by now. Any large group of people is at risk." Emma was resigned. No large communities can exist in peace again. Not if any death results in reanimation. A small group could potentially get by if they are cautious with their dying members.

"Not if they are careful. I'm sure there is a way. And there were supposed to be enough people there that they would have resources to work on a cure.."

"Harwell... you heard the same as me... there is no cure. If the CDC has no idea how to fix this I don't think random people in New York have solved it.."

"Well I am willing to risk it. I can't just sit in this suburb with my son for the rest of my life, dodging the bodies of the former residents. I say we try for NYC immediately. We can siphon gas and use one of the cars out on the street and-"

"Thats too risky. We don't know what we will find out there. We've been safe here." Emma was panicking already. They couldn't go out there.

"Safe? You call having to shoot one of our own group safe? Shes dead Emma. We aren't safe."

With that, Emma's face settled into a mask again. Claretta had died because she left the safety of the house, why couldn't he see that? "I won't risk it."

"Then Bennie and I will go alone. Look where relying on you for safety got Claretta?" _Ouch. Of course. My fault._

"You don't even know what it will be like out there. What if you run into a hoard? Or another group of survivors? Do you think many happy suburban moms survived? The people you meet are going to be hardened and dangerous."

"Its worth it. I can't raise my boy like this Emma. Sitting in this house pretending its going to be ok. We need to find others and actually do something. If you don't want to come with us then stay here."

"Fine."

Emma tried not to care. But Harwell and Bennie would never make it. If she went with them it would be just as much of a death sentence. No bullets. Limited food. No territory advantage. And the other survivors... Emma had seen another group pass through here only once. They were all loaded into the back of a truck carrying crossbows and rifles and covered in grime. What scared her the most was their demeanor. They spoke in excited tones and slapped each other on the back. They had been talking loudly about finding a 'new toy' to pass around since their last one had finally kicked the bucket. She didn't have to listen long to realize they had been talking about women and had been thoroughly harrowed by the implication. There would be more groups like that out there.

If Harwell wanted to go on a suicide mission she couldn't stop him. But she wouldn't throw away her life to go with him either. Its too dangerous. _Why wont he just stay?_

"We will leave tomorrow." Harwell finally said, before leaving Emma alone in the kitchen where she now felt aware of all the grime built up on her body. The thought of the disease sleeping within her was chilling enough that she had to fight the urge to scrub and dig at her arms. She listened to the muted rasping from the street drifting into the dingy room and tried to calm her frantic thoughts once more.

* * *

Killian sat on his bed staring at the ceiling. His hand was at the bridge of his nose and he squeezed his eyes shut once more. He had been there for most of the day trying to make sense of this situation. He couldn't deny anymore that his dream had brought them here. He supposed its logical. From his travels he knew that people got flashes of other realms from their dreams. Dreams and stories of Neverland seem to be found everywhere and that is why children in every realm follow Peter so eagerly into the night. The lost boys in Neverland already knew of tales like Jack and the Beanstalk, proving that even his own realm's history had been immortalized in another world. Dreams are where most literature come from. God have mercy on the poor souls who choose to write about reanimated corpses and nightmares.

The final thing that had him most curious was their precise location. The bean would have picked a specific spot. If it had worked properly, he would have landed in the nearest body of water to the crocodile. Why here though? If the crocodile is not in this realm, what brought them to this particular stretch of beach? He supposed he had no intention to stay and find out regardless. Its irrelevant. He tried to push the thoughts out of his head. The bean probably just picked a random spot on the coast.

_I will have to head ashore again soon._ He hoped the supplies list is complete by now. Hook moved to stand up and heard a urgent knock on his door.

"Captain! Something is wrong with the crewman from the shore mission. They have fallen deathly ill and im afraid its getting worse." _Just what I need._ He hoped it wasn't overly contagious. The ship was cramped and he didn't want the whole crew to come down with it. He opened the door to see Smee standing there looking agitated.

"Take me to them."

"It came on so quick. Just a few hours after they returned they started feeling weak and went to lay down. Not an hour ago, their mates reported that they have developed fevers and someone brought them a bit of yarrow from the stores. Since then, they have worsened and the medicine had no effect. They are already hallucinating, sir." Smee explained all this in quick breaths as if saying it faster would somehow cure the crewman.

They approached the door and Hook pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and put it over his face. Who knows what they could have caught. This realm probably had strange diseases. After watching to make sure Smee had done the same he pushed on the door. It was dark inside but he could make out that the crewmen were laying in their bunks. He could see the bandages on their wounds were fresh. At least someone had been tending them. At the sight of the captain one of them mumbled about a bit of rope. Hook frowned. Hallucinations are serious.

Hook approached the left bunk and moved to place his hand over the man's forehead. Before his hand even touched, he stopped and stared back at Smee. _My gods they are on fire!_ He could feel the heat radiating outwards even from a few inches away. He then barely rested his hand on the mans forehead when he started moving and muttering again. The man's eyes were red and sunken and he seemed to be unable to lift his head. Hook backed away and moved back out onto the deck, his expression somber. He had seen enough. These men would likely not make it through the night.

"Smee, I don't want anyone going in there. We don't know if its contagious. Alert the crew, post a sign, I don't care." Rotting corpse monsters and horrible diseases. _This realm is more nightmarish than I thought._ His mind drifted back to the clearing and he remembered something the man had said. He had laughed and told Hook not to bother treating the wounds of his men because it would kill them.. was it true..? The man had seemed insane but now that Hook faced evidence he had to consider maybe he was right. _Wonderful. What else had the man said?_

"Aye, sir."

"and someone bring me that list. What is taking so bloody long?"

* * *

Harwell and Bennie were loading up the car. She had tried again to convince him to stay, where its safe, but he refused. He was not thinking rationally anymore. The information from the CDC had hit them hard. Harwell should be reacting the opposite. If he wanted to be safe he needed to avoid large population centers not head towards them. No large safe zone can possibly exist. If there is a "safe" place, its in small groups like their own. Emma knew he already convinced himself the CDC broadcast means there are still radio towers operational nearby and therefore society.

He wouldn't even consider that the CDC probably had access to a military grade station. There were several radio stations built in the 50s that could broadcast across the entire East Coast up to Canada and as far west as Colorado. _I want him to listen to me._

Emma told herself she was better off alone anyway. She could survive here in this coastal town... alone. If she could somehow get some more bullets or weapons she could be self sufficient.

She just wished at least Harwell would consider staying for Bennie. The boy doesn't deserve to die on a suicide mission.

"Why don't you want to go to the New York safezone Emma?"

"It doesn't exist and you know it." She admitted she barely knew this man. They had only been living in this house for a few weeks. She knew they had no particular obligation to each other but this still felt horrible. People leave her even if shes their literal last hope for survival, she considered, scowling. "We will die out there."

"Maybe its better. At least I can go out knowing that I was at least trying instead of sitting here waiting for a disaster."

"Is that really how you feel?"

"Yes."

"Then I won't stop you. Go." If they want to toss their lives away for a pipe dream, they can go right ahead. Emma refused to regret this.

* * *

Hook had finally received the list of all materials necessary for the repairs. _Damn bloody time._ They had decided not to bother fixing the mast because it would require at least a month here. They needed to just get the ship safe enough to enter the portal. That mostly involved fixing the fractures in the hull. The damage would require a lot of tar for sealant (or whatever this realms equivalent) and enough thin boards to reinforce the sides as well as a few specific tools. The amount he needed would be too much to carry alone but he still wished to find the supplies himself. He didn't need his crew charging blindly into a fight and he felt moving alone among the beasts was probably safer. After he had located supplies he would return and get the men he needed to carry them.

He touched his pocket again for the bag of coin and the magic bean. Still there. They could escape soon.

Hook decided to go ashore immediately. It was early morning again and the two ill crewmans' condition had worsened. They probably wouldn't make it more than another few hours but there was nothing else he could do. So far no one else had contracted the disease and he was forced to accept that it had come from the bites of the monsters. They weren't exposed long enough to anything else. He would be the only one to face the monsters now. He couldn't ask any more of his men to risk the bites like this. _Its my nightmares, I will face them alone._

This time the crew was not cheering when he was lowered in the small boat . Most shifted from foot to foot. Hook tried not to appear nervous himself. He focused on his goals. He would make his way into the town quietly and see if any people remained, first of all.

As he rowed, he thought about what he might find. He knew of many different realms. He had spent 300 years in Neverland, after all. Many long hours were spent gathering information from the lost boys about the different realms and the type of magic in each one. If this realm was truly magic-less it might have advanced tech. If the world ever had a chance to grow before it was ruined, of course. He got the impression from the man that this was a fairly recent problem though. Hook wondered briefly where the dead figures had come from. He assumed from hell or some horrifying summoning. They had probably eaten and killed most of the residents of this land by now.

Finally he pulled the boat ashore and stepped out. He stared at the boulders around him and took a minute to gather his thoughts. He would head towards the buildings just past the treeline. He said a silent prayer to whatever sick deity might reign over this realm and took his first heavy steps towards fixing his greatest mistake.

* * *

**6/3/2014/AN:**

**Yep. Sorry for the info-dump from the CDC up top but I needed you guys to understand how the zombies work. When you DIE you reanimate as long as the brain is intact. Zombie bites are of course 100% fatal so always result in reanimation but really any death will do. Stabbed through the chest, heart attack, the flu, etc. This is the mechanic im stealing from The Walking Dead zombies because im not creative enough to come up with my own unique spin and I need it for plot reasons. Too confusing? D:**

**Our lovelies should meet next chapter.**


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